It has been a difficult season. Three buffalo have been taken by the hunters, but that’s not enough. The clan will not make it through winter. Their bottom line is unhealthy, but they have a more significant problem: The bean counter in the cave…
The hunters want to eat one buffalo. This will require strength to hunt again. But the cave’s bean counter won’t let them. He says that times are difficult. He states that they only have three buffalo. This is insufficient, and the buffalo must be protected.
The clan is split. Do you want to survive? You can also sacrifice some to get more.
CORPORATE CAVES AND SURVIVAL MODE
Hard times can bring out the best in us, whether it’s a global recession or a temporary financial downturn in our industry. The quality of our thinking can determine whether we survive or fall, and this is more apparent than ever in organizations.
Companies that are going through tough times make the same mistakes as the bean counter in a cave. Their thinking changes. They panic and enter Survival Mode. They are focused on the bottom line. Because they only see the three buffalo and none else, it’s all about them.
But survival is all about the top-line, it turns out.
It is vital, but not essential, to preserve buffalo in lean times. The accumulation of new buffalo is more critical and valuable. Only new buffalo can see an organization through winter.
This is how it works: If there aren’t enough buffalo in the cave to sustain life, then no amount of conserving can save them. Similar to the above, if you spend all your energy trying desperately to hold on to too much money, it can lead to an organizational death spiral. This is poor strategic thinking.
YOUR CLAN’S CRITICAL SHIFT
This is the critical mental shift: Only 20 percent of your energy and time should be spent on plugging holes. While conserving buffalo is an important task, it is only one aspect. The real solution is hunting, which requires 80 percent of your energy.
Hunting is essential in difficult times. Hunting is vital for survival. You must hunt aggressively, with greater focus and intensity than ever before.
SPEAK ENERGY INSIDE YOUR CAVE
Encouragement of hunters is an integral part of your survival efforts. You cannot allow the bean-counter to talk doom for your clan during difficult times. As the leader, you must ensure that they keep the fires lit.
Recognize that you are in difficult times and begin to accept them. It’s easy to say, “I only have three Buffalo, and three is too many.” Neglecting the low number of buffalo is known as denial and can be dangerous for your clan.
Once you have accepted the situation, it is time to take action. Gather your hunters around the fire. You must arm them more than ever. Encourage them to do more than they are used to. Give them more power than you ever have before. Incentivize them more than usual, and reward them with a higher level of rewards than you have ever done in the past.
They are the lifeblood of your clan, and their ability to hunt is unmatched. Their determination to pursue is unstoppable. Sharpen your spears and send them after the buffalo. You will have another summer if you do it right.
They are still out there. The bean-counters must not win.
